Jamaica storm hurricane melissa Jamaica wakes to no electricity and destruction after Hurricane Melissa
The normal sounds of life in Jamaica are silent this morning as many people woke up without electricity.
Following the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, strong winds have left nearly three-quarters of the island without power, and many parts of the western part are submerged. The strong winds have destroyed homes.
Amid strong winds and rain overnight, a local official said the devastation resembled “a scene from an apocalyptic movie.”
With communications down, the true scale of the disaster is still unknown. Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the island a “disaster zone” late Tuesday night and warned of “devastating impacts” and “significant damage” to hospitals, homes, and businesses.
While no deaths have yet been confirmed, Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon told the BBC that his first task at dawn would be to “check if everyone is alive.”
Getty Images A man looks at a fallen tree shortly before Hurricane Melissa made landfall in St. Catherine, Jamaica. Getty Images
Trees were uprooted in St. Catherine even before the storm arrived.
Hypnoe Melissa, the most powerful hurricane to hit Jamaica in modern history, left a trail of devastation across the country on Tuesday.
At its peak, the storm’s winds were gusting to 298 km/h (185 mph) – even stronger than Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005 and killed 1,392 people.
A Member of Parliament from western Jamaica told Kingston-based journalist Kimon Francis of The Jamaica Gleaner, “It was like a scene from an apocalyptic movie.”
Francis described the night as “tense” and “intense,” with persistent strong winds and rain.
“You have no contact. You can’t talk to the people you normally talk to,” he told the BBC World Service’s Newsday program.
Francis reported that floodwaters in central Jamaica had reached the roofs of two-story homes.
An unidentified woman told the BBC: “Water is coming in through the roof of my house. I’m not well.”
Although no casualties have been confirmed, Jamaica’s Prime Minister told CNN that he fears “some lives may be lost.” He said the damage was widespread – hospitals, schools, homes, and businesses had been damaged.
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